The present invention relates to chewing gum. More specifically, this invention relates to improved formulations for chewing gum containing a cross-linked gelatin matrix gum base and a bulking agent comprised of erythritol, mannitol, or mixtures thereof. The cross-linked gelatin matrix of the present invention can be used either alone or in combination with elastomers traditionally used in conventional chewing gum to form a cross-linked gelatin matrix gum base. This cross-linked gelatin matrix gum base is then combined with mannitol and/or erythritol, which serve as the bulking agent, to form the final chewing gum product. The chewing gum of the present invention is more easily digestible and disposed of, environmentally friendly, and potentially biodegradable.
The fundamental components of a traditional chewing gum typically are a water-insoluble gum base portion and a water-soluble portion. The primary component of traditional gum base is an elastomeric polymer which provides the characteristic chewy texture of the product. The gum base will typically include other ingredients which modify the chewing properties or aid in processing the product. These include plasticizers, softeners, fillers, emulsifiers, plastic resins, as well as colorants and antioxidants. The water soluble portion of the chewing gum typically includes a bulking agent together with minor amounts of secondary components such as flavors, high-intensity sweeteners, colorants, water-soluble softeners, gum emulsifiers, acidulants, and sensates. Typically, the water-soluble portion, sensates, and flavors dissipate during chewing and the gum base is retained in the mouth throughout the chew.
The elastomers found in traditional chewing gum base are normally derived from a petroleum feedstock and processed to food-grade standards. Recently, consumers have expressed preference for more natural foods and a desire to minimize use of products derived from petroleum. Additionally, due to fluctuations in the price and supply of petroleum, continued availability of these food-grade elastomers has become uncertain. While some non-petroleum derived elastomers have been proposed, problems with cost, supply, texture, flavor, or the use of potentially toxic solvents and reagents have precluded widespread implementation of these alternative elastomers. In this regard, it is desirable to find an inexpensive, readily available, consumer acceptable gum base which is derived from a natural food ingredient and processed without using potentially toxic solvents and reagents. A non-petroleum based gum base could be combined with conventional elastomeric petroleum based gum bases to help make chewing gum more natural and minimize the use of petroleum products in order to preserve the availability of petroleum products.
Another problem with traditional gum bases is the nuisance of gum litter when chewed gum cuds are improperly discarded. While consumers can easily dispose of chewed cuds in waste receptacles, some consumers intentionally or accidentally discard cuds onto sidewalks and other environmental surfaces. The nature of conventional gum bases can cause the improperly discarded cuds to adhere to the environmental surface and subsequently to be trampled by foot traffic into a flattened embedded mass which can be extremely difficult to remove.
The cross-linked gelatin matrix gum base of the present invention, either combined with traditional elastomeric gum base and gum base ingredients or used as the sole component of the gum base, addresses some of the problems associated with solely petroleum based chewing gum bases and also the environmental problems associated with disposing of traditional chewing gum. A commercially acceptable chewing gum containing a cross-linked gelatin matrix base as part of the insoluble portion of the chewing gum has not been previously made because many of the gum ingredients found in traditional chewing gum are not compatible with the cross-linked gelatin matrix. In fact many ingredients, including most polyols, cause the cross-linked gelatin matrix to become watery or to break apart into pieces or dissolve either in the mixer or in the mouth while chewing. Thus the main problem with creating a chewing gum having a cross-linked gelatin gum matrix as a base ingredient is creating a commercially acceptable chewing gum. A commercially acceptable chewing gum is one that has a cohesive character, forms an elastic and chewable cud during chew, and does not dissolve under mouth conditions. Mouth conditions represent a combination of temperature, moisture, and pH typically found in the mouth of a human as well as the shear, compression and other mechanical forces applied by the teeth during chewing. The majority of commonly used polyol bulking agents cause the cross-linked gelatin matrix to become extremely watery or crumbly in the mixer since the polyols will not combine with the cross-linked gelatin matrix to form a chewing gum. Even if a mixture is formed, the mixture falls apart or dissolves in the mouth when chewed and thus will not create a commercially acceptable chewing gum.
This invention is directed to a novel chewing gum containing a cross-linked gelatin matrix portion, which serves as part of if not the entire gum base, with an added bulking agent of erythritol, mannitol, or mixtures thereof. The combination of one or both of these two polyol bulking agents with the cross-linked gelatin matrix base provides a consumer acceptable commercial chewing gum because, unlike other commonly used polyol bulking agents, mannitol and erythritol are the only two that give the chewing gum a cohesive and chewable character with elasticity without having it dissolve or disintegrate under mouth conditions